Vehicle Head Rest with Integrated Travel Pillow Compartment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicle head rests do not provide adequate geometry for comfortable support of the head and neck during napping or dozing, leading to stiff and sore necks upon awakening.
Innovation Solution
A head rest assembly with a hidden storage compartment that holds a travel pillow, allowing passengers to position it between the head rest and neck for improved support and comfort, featuring a body, cover, and mounting posts for secure attachment to the seat, with optional color coordination and hinged or removable cover designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional head rest is used, then the head rest provides basic safety function, but it does not provide adequate geometry for comfortable support of the head and neck during napping
Solution Approach 1:
The travel pillow is stored inside a storage compartment that is integrated within the head rest assembly. The compartment is formed between the cover and the base structure, allowing the pillow to be nested within the existing head rest geometry without adding external bulk or complexity to the overall assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The head rest assembly serves multiple functions: it provides the traditional safety function of limiting whiplash, acts as a storage unit for the travel pillow through the integrated compartment, and when the pillow is removed and positioned between the head rest and passenger neck, it provides enhanced comfort support for napping.
2Ease of operation
If a travel pillow is stored in a hidden storage compartment, then passenger comfort is enhanced, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The storage compartment is merged with the head rest structure itself, forming an integrated assembly where the compartment walls are created by the cover and base structure rather than being separate components. This combining approach adds the storage function without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The travel pillow is nested within the storage compartment that is itself integrated into the head rest assembly. This nested arrangement allows the pillow to be stored in a space that would otherwise be empty, adding functionality without requiring additional external space or complex mounting structures.
3Ease of operation
If the cover is made removable or hinged, then accessibility to the travel pillow is improved, but the reliability of the head rest structure may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with dynamic characteristics, being either removable or hinged, allowing it to transition between different states (attached/removed or open/closed) to provide accessibility to the stored travel pillow while maintaining structural integrity when in the closed/attached position.
Data Source
AI summary
A head rest assembly is provided for a motor vehicle. The head rest assembly includes a body having a storage compartment and a cover for mating with the body and enclosing the storage compartment. Further, the head rest assembly includes a travel pillow that is held in the storage compartment where it is made conveniently available for use by a passenger of the motor vehicle.